Majority Approval For Safe Injection Site In Ottawa

OTTAWA, May, 19th,
2016 – In a random sampling of public opinion taken by
the Forum Poll™ among 890 Ottawa voters, the majority approve of a safe
injection site in downtown Ottawa for intravenous drug users (54%). Just more
than a third disapprove of this idea (37%) and one tenth don’t have an opinion
(9%).

Approval
of a supervised injection site is characteristic of the youngest (64%), the
wealthy ($80K to $100K - 65%), among mothers of children under 18 (58%), the
best educated (post grad - 64%), those who have used marijuana (64%),
provincial Liberals (66%) and New Democrats (77%). Opposition is common to the
oldest (48%), the less wealthy ($20K to $40K - 45%), homeowners (41%), the
least educated (secondary school or less - 54%), those who have never used marijuana
(44%) and provincial Progressive Conservatives (66%). Francophone voters are
less likely to have an opinion (23%) than Anglophones (8%).

In
comparison to Toronto, levels of approval are very similar (March 23, 2016 –
57%), but those who disapprove are fewer (March 23, 2016 - 32%).

“There
is clearly a sentiment in urban centres in favour of harm reduction over
sanctions and enforcement. Vancouver already has InSite, and Toronto and Ottawa
are both contemplating similar centres. These results bode well for a
successful outcome” said Forum
Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.

Lorne Bozinoff,
Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.